Special Series

Struggling To Get By

May 2023

Thursday, May 11

It Now Takes A Six-Figure Salary For A Family Of 4 To Make Ends Meet in Hawaii

Monday, May 8

Hawaii Residents Have Been Complaining About Our High Cost Of Living For More Than 100 Years

Monday, May 1

How Rising Interest Rates Are Driving Up The Cost Of Living In Hawaii

April 2023

Monday, April 24

Hawaii Residents Are Struggling Even More With High Interest Rates. But Good News May Be Looming

Tuesday, April 4

Denby Fawcett: Who Can Afford ‘Affordable Housing’ In Hawaii? Certainly Not Low-Income Families

March 2023

Monday, March 27

Proposed Honolulu High Rise Is Pitting Residents And Neighborhood Boards Against City Officials

Wednesday, March 8

$600 A Month In Kakaako Gets Seniors Mold, Shocks And The Smell Of Death

Wednesday, March 1

A $500 State Tax Credit For School Supplies? Hawaii Teachers Say That’s A Good Start

February 2023

Thursday, February 16

Economist: Green’s Proposed Tax Plan For Struggling Families Needs Some Tweaking

Sunday, February 12

Is Hawaii Ready For The Governor’s Tax Cut Plan? Lawmakers Aren’t So Sure

January 2023

Sunday, January 29

Honolulu Homeowners Are Shocked At New Property Tax Bills. Here’s Something That Could Help

December 2022

Monday, December 19

No Car? No Problem. Car Rentals Cater To Honolulu Residents Who Don’t Really Need One

Tuesday, December 6

Report: Pandemic Has Driven More Families Below The Poverty Line In Hawaii

Monday, December 5

Why Is Hawaii Still Suffering From High Oil Prices When The Mainland Has Dropped?

November 2022

Sunday, November 13

Everyone Says We Need More Affordable Housing. But Oahu Voters Said No To More Money

October 2022

Friday, October 14

Catherine Toth Fox: Let’s Invest In Hawaii’s Child Care Sector Before It’s Too Late

September 2022

Wednesday, September 28

Rising Prices, Increasing Poverty, Slowing Job Growth: Hawaii’s Economy Faces Grim Times

Wednesday, September 14

‘People Are Really Struggling’: Hawaii Food Banks Scramble To Meet Increased Demand

August 2022

Thursday, August 25

Blueprint For Hawaii Housing? UH Project For Students And Faculty Is Going Up At Relatively Little Cost

Monday, August 22

The No. 1 Reason Maui Residents Call 211? They Need Help Buying Food

Friday, August 19

Hawaii Condo Fees Are Among Nation’s Highest. And They’re Squeezing The Middle Class

July 2022

Monday, July 25

More Help Is Coming For Hawaii’s Homeless Youth

Wednesday, July 20

The Maui Council Wants To Create A Safe Space For People Who Live In Their Cars

Friday, July 15

Hawaii Has $200 Million To Spend on Pre-K. Who Gets The Money?

June 2022

Thursday, June 16

Hawaii May Not Be The Richest State, But It Is One Of The Happiest

Wednesday, June 15

Hawaii Has A Child Care Crisis. Employers Could Help Solve It

Tuesday, June 7

Could Employer-Provided Rentals Help Solve Hawaii’s Housing Crisis?

Wednesday, June 1

Would You Want The Government To Be Your Landlord?

May 2022

Tuesday, May 31

Lawmakers Spent Big This Year To Help Hawaii Families ‘Pushed Over The Edge’

Thursday, May 12

How Fast Can Government Agencies Turn The Legislature’s $1 Billion Into New Housing?

Monday, May 2

How Honolulu’s Push For More Housing Sparks Opposition From Rival Interests

April 2022

Thursday, April 21

Oahu Nonprofits To Get $4.5M To Address Housing And Financial Woes

Monday, April 18

Why Businesses Are Passing Their Rising Costs On To Consumers

Thursday, April 14

How Hawaii’s Land-Use Regulations Are Helping Drive Up Housing Prices

Sunday, April 10

Why More Apartment Buildings May Not Be The Answer To Oahu’s High Housing Costs

March 2022

Thursday, March 31

It’s Hard To Make Ends Meet On Maui. Even If You Live In Your Car

Sunday, March 27

Hawaii’s Population Continues A Slide That Began In 2017, New Data Shows

Friday, March 18

Proposed Bill Would Reduce Prices Of Diapers, Food And Medicine

Sunday, March 13

These 5 Bills Could Be Game Changers For Hawaii Residents Struggling To Afford A Place To Live

Wednesday, March 9

Good Luck Finding A Place To Rent If You Own A Pet — Especially On Maui

Monday, March 7

Here’s How Hawaii Is Trying To Improve Child Care Access

Why It Costs So Much To Own A Car In Hawaii

February 2022

Sunday, February 27

More Housing In Honolulu Means More Density. Are Monster Homes The Only Way?

Tuesday, February 22

Pre-Fab Construction Could Be One Solution To Hawaii’s High Cost Of Housing

Sunday, February 13

What Would You Do With $100? Locals Weigh In On Proposed Tax Refunds

Tuesday, February 8

The Legislature’s Most Visible Housing Advocate Is Provoking A Policy Debate

January 2022

Monday, January 31

5 Charts Show Hawaii’s Housing Cost Squeeze

Wednesday, January 26

Hawaii’s High Costs Leave Many Struggling To Get By

It Now Takes A Six-Figure Salary For A Family Of 4 To Make Ends Meet in Hawaii Stewart Yerton/Civil Beat/2021

It Now Takes A Six-Figure Salary For A Family Of 4 To Make Ends Meet in Hawaii

There's been a steep increase in the cost of living in the last few years, but a new report also shows how tax credits can provide a lifeline to families.

Hawaii Residents Have Been Complaining About Our High Cost Of Living For More Than 100 Years

Hawaii Residents Have Been Complaining About Our High Cost Of Living For More Than 100 Years

Old newspaper clippings show that the same conversations that were happening in the 1860s and 1960s about the struggle to make ends meet are still relevant today.

Hawaii Residents Are Struggling Even More With High Interest Rates. But Good News May Be Looming David Croxford/CivilBeat/2022

Hawaii Residents Are Struggling Even More With High Interest Rates. But Good News May Be Looming

Many people and small businesses racked up debt during the pandemic and are "in catch-up mode," according to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

Denby Fawcett: Who Can Afford ‘Affordable Housing’ In Hawaii? Certainly Not Low-Income Families Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Denby Fawcett: Who Can Afford ‘Affordable Housing’ In Hawaii? Certainly Not Low-Income Families

Hawaii needs to find a way to provide more units for low-income families or the homeless crisis will get worse.

Proposed Honolulu High Rise Is Pitting Residents And Neighborhood Boards Against City Officials David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Proposed Honolulu High Rise Is Pitting Residents And Neighborhood Boards Against City Officials

The Kobayashi Group is moving ahead with a 43-story residential high rise that will take the place of 124 rental units on Kapiolani Boulevard.

Matson Commits Another $5 million For Food Banks In Hawaii, Guam and Alaska Courtesy: Matson

Matson Commits Another $5 million For Food Banks In Hawaii, Guam and Alaska

Lower shipping costs have freed up funds for more food supplies, Hawaii Foodbank said.

$600 A Month In Kakaako Gets Seniors Mold, Shocks And The Smell Of Death David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

$600 A Month In Kakaako Gets Seniors Mold, Shocks And The Smell Of Death

Maintenance problems at a state-owned apartment building for seniors underscore another challenge in providing affordable housing.